The Evil Queen Meets Mr Spock
by Model Builder
Summary: On their way to a Star Trek Convention in Maine; Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, Raj and Penny find themselves in the otherworldly town of Storybrooke. Will they be able to escape from the Evil Queen Regina Mills by LARPing as their favorite "Star Trek" characters . . . ?
1. The Mysterious Town

**The Big Bang Theory / Once Upon A Time **

**Crossover Fanfiction**

**The Evil Queen Meets Mr. Spock**

On their way to a Star Trek Convention in Maine; Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, Raj and Penny find themselves in the otherworldly town of Storybrooke. Will they be able to escape from the Evil Queen Regina Mills by LARPing as their favorite "Star Trek" characters . . . ?

**Disclaimer:**

"The Big Bang Theory" is owned and created by Chuck Lorre. "Once Upon A Time" is owned and created by the team of Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. And "Star Trek," of course, is the creation of Gene Roddenberry. I am just a hobbyist, and I own nothing. I'm just having fun with the characters from the various storyverses that I am using in this work of fanfiction.

I hope that this is a sufficient disclaimer.

Historian's note: This story takes place in October 2011, during Season 5 of "The Big Bang Theory."

In "Once Upon A Time," Mary Margaret Blanchard is just about to give Henry a book that she found in her closet; a book that will change the lives of everyone in the town of Storybrooke.

As an episode of "Once Upon A Time," the Title Card will depict the "Animated Atom" from "The Big Bang Theory" spinning in the center of the blue forest setting.

"_Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."_ Arthur C. Clarke

**Part One: The Mysterious Town**

Leonard, Sheldon, Raj, Howard and Penny are in Maine to attend the biggest Star Trek Convention to be held on the Eastern Seaboard in decades, and the guys have gone all out! Upon their arrival at Bangor airport, they picked up the white minivan that they rented for the occasion, and added the magnetic stickers they brought along to make the van look like the _USS Enterprise_ Shuttlecraft "_Galileo 7_." They then changed into their Original Series Star Fleet Uniforms, and set out to the site of the convention.

Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, wearing a Command Gold shirt, activated the GPS, and pulled onto the highway. To his right sat Howard Wolowitz, also wearing Command Gold. Directly behind them sat Dr. Sheldon Cooper in Science Blue with prosthetic pointed ears to make him resemble Spock as much as possible. Sheldon's expression was stoically Vulcan as he monitored the device that he brought along with him to work on for the Caltech Department of Physics. Sitting to Sheldon's right was Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali, who wore an Original Series Klingon Uniform.

Behind them in the third seat was Penny. The pretty blonde was casually dressed in jeans and a red tank-top. Sadly for her, both Amy and Bernadette had to cancel at the last minute, leaving her alone with the guys, who were periodically chiding her for not dressing "appropriately" for the occasion.

After being on the interstate for less than half an hour, the GPS directed them to pull off the highway. Now they drove through a seemingly endless stretch of road in rural Maine, lined with trees and farmland that seemed to go on forever.

"The GPS says that we need to follow this road for about 45 minutes before our next turnoff," said Leonard.

"You mean that the navigational computer indicates that we need to continue on this _heading_ for 45 minutes before our next coordinate change," said Sheldon as he continued to monitor the device that he brought along.

"Uh, yeah, Sheldon," said Leonard smiling. "Whatever . . . ."

"I can't wait!" said Howard with barely contained excitement. "Shatner, Nimoy, Koenig, Takai, Nichols . . . . _Everyone_ is going to be there!"

"And we are all dressed for the occasion!" added Leonard. "Except for . . . ."

Howard shook his head, looked back at Penny, and said, "Would it _really_ have killed you to put on something "Star Trek" related, Penny?" If not a Starfleet uniform; then why not consider wearing a nice little number from the William Ware Thiess collection?"

"Who is he?" said Penny, not looking up from one of the "US" magazines that she brought along with her to pass the time on the trip. "I've never heard of him, and I'm pretty sure that I know all of the latest fashion designers."

"William Ware Thiess was a _costume_ designer for the Original Star Trek series," said Sheldon. "He was famous for coining the "Theiss Titillation Theory"—which claims that ". . . the degree to which a costume is considered sexy is directly proportional to how accident-prone it appears to be."

"Huh?" said Penny.

"In your parlance, it's "hot" if it looks like a "wardrobe malfunction" waiting to happen . . . ."

"Oh, I get it," said Penny.

"Here is a sample of his work," said Howard, passing his laptop to Raj who in turn passed it to Penny. "That's France Nuyen as Elaan of Troyus . . . ."

"Hmmm," said Penny. "Not bad . . . . It kind of looks like something that Nicki Minaj would wear on stage. But _I'm_ not going to wear something like _that _in public!"

"But you'll look out of place in what you have on!" said Howard. Raj leaned forward and whispered something in Howard's ear. "Yes, I _suppose_ that Penny _could_ say that she is a visitor from the 21st Century . . . ."

"Guys, I agreed to come with you to the convention," said Penny. "But I did _not_ agree to dress like a _slut_ from the 25th Century . . . ."

"Actually, the Original "Star Trek" series was set in the _23__rd__ Century_," said Sheldon, still preoccupied with his device.

Curiosity got the better of Penny. "_What_ is that thing that you brought with you, Sheldon?"

Although Penny was definitely _not _a "Star Trek" fan, she _did_ have an eye for fashion and accessories. The device that Sheldon was so pre-occupied with looked high-tech enough. But _stylistically_, it looked out of place next to the toy phasers, tricorders and communicators that her friends carried with them as part of their costumes.

"You wouldn't understand if I told you, Penny," said Sheldon, not looking up.

Penny leaned forward, smiled and said, "Try me, Sheldon."

"If _Sheldon_ won't try you," said Howard smiling from the front seat. "I'll be happy to . . . ."

"Dream on, Howard . . . ." Penny rolled her eyes, turned to Sheldon and said, "But I'm _really_ interested, Sheldon. I mean, you seem so _engrossed _in whatever it is that you are doing, but it doesn't look, uh, "Star Trek-ish."

"Well, you don't look "Star Trek-ish" either, Penny," said Sheldon. "Not that I am _complaining_, mind you, but you really should have _dressed_ for the occasion . . . ."

Raj leaned forward again to whisper something in Howard's ear. Howard said, "Yes, I think that Penny _would_ look smokin' hot dressed as Nona the Kahn-ut-tu from "A Private Little War," or as Shanna the Drill Thrall from "The Gamesters of Triskellion."

"What are you talking about?" said Penny. Raj pulled up pictures of Nancy Kovack and Angelique Pettyjohn in their "Star Trek" costumes on his iPad, and then handed it to Penny.

"Oh," said Penny, pointing to the photo of Nancy Kovack. "This one looks like something that Kim Kardashian would wear . . . ." She then raised her eyebrow at the other one. "You've got to be _kidding_ about this one, though. Not even _Lady Gaga_ would wear that!" She gave the iPad back to Raj.

"Will you all _please_ be quiet!" said Sheldon. "I've just detected some anomalous energy readings on my QAD! I've _never_ seen readings like this before, and I need to concentrate!"

"What's a QAD?" said Penny.

"A Quantum Anomaly Detector," said Sheldon. "I'm testing it out for the Caltech Physics Department and . . . guys, I'm getting some _very_ strong readings here!"

"What kind of readings, Sheldon?" said Leonard.

"Unusual fluctuations in space-time," said Sheldon. "I'm going to switch from passive to active scanning mode. I'm sending out a phased, charged tachyon pulse to see if I can . . . ."

Leonard slammed on the brakes, stopping just in time before he rear-ended a black Mercedes at a stoplight. A thirtysomething woman with dark hair, who wore a 1980's style Yuppie "Power-Suit," got out of the Mercedes and was at Leonard's window in seconds, banging hard on the roof of the van until he lowered the window.

"Why don't you watch where you are going?" said the woman in a commanding voice. "You almost hit my car! You should pay more attention to . . . _wait a minute_! Who the hell are _you_? I've never seen _any_ of you people in my town before . . . !"

"I-I _was_ watching the road, Ma'am," stammered Leonard. "I don't _know_ what happened! I _never _took my eyes off the road! One moment we were driving down a stretch of rural road and the next thing that I knew we were in the middle of a . . . a _town_?" Leonard glanced at the GPS. The screen was blank.

"I saw it too, Leonard," said Howard. "Somehow the woods turned into a town!"

"That's impossible!" said Penny. "Maybe we were so engrossed in our conversation about what I should wear at the convention that we just didn't notice that we drove into a town?"

Raj whispered something into Howard's ear, and Howard said, "Raj said that he just checked his iPad, Penny. He says there are no towns in this part of Maine on Google Earth!"

"Well, obviously the site you are on needs to be updated," said Sheldon. "Because this is _definitely_ a town!"

Howard leaned out the window to ask the woman where they were, but she was speaking briskly into her cellphone.

"Uh, guys?" said Penny nervously. "A _cop car_ just pulled up behind us!"

Everyone looked back to see a man in a Sheriff's uniform get out and walk over to the woman with the Mercedes. Penny had to admit that the man, who was rockin' a neatly trimmed beard and moustache, was attractive, but this did nothing to assuage her nerves. She could have _sworn _that they had been driving in a wooded area that seemed to extend as far as the eye could see . . . .

"Sheriff Graham, these people nearly rear-ended my car," said the woman.

"But we _didn't_!" protested Leonard. "We stopped in time! We didn't hit your car!"

The Sheriff nodded, and with just a trace of an Irish accent, said, "Good afternoon, sir. May I see your license, registration and proof of Insurance, please?"

Leonard complied, handing the officer the documents he requested. "Excuse me, but could either of you tell us where we are?"

The woman gave him a hard look, and then said, "This is the town of Storybrooke. And I am the Mayor. My name is Regina Mills. And you all are in more trouble than you know . . . ." Mayor Mills spoke briefly again with the sheriff, then got back in her car and drove off.

The Sheriff of Storybrooke then instructed Leonard to follow him in their minivan to the Town Hall, where they would all meet in Mayor Mills' office to discuss the incident. When they got there, Mayor Mills was already sitting behind her desk. She rose from her seat when they were all in her office.

"Sheriff Graham," said Mayor Mills. "Leave us. Wait outside my door." The Sheriff executed a barely perceptible bow, and did as he was told. Mayor Mills scowled as she looked Leonard straight in his eyes. "Now, _who_ are you people, and _how_ did you get into _my _town?"

Leonard said, "Well, My name is Dr. Leonard Hofstadter. This is Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali, Howard Wolowitz, and Penny –"

"Are you all _medical _doctors?" said Mayor Mills.

"Uh, no," said Leonard. "I'm a Doctor of Experimental Physics. Sheldon is a Doctor of Theoretical Physics and Raj is a Doctor of Particle Astrophysics. Howard is just an engineer –"

"With a _Master's Degree_ in Engineering from _MIT_!" said Howard quickly.

Leonard rolled his eyes and continued, "And this is our friend, Penny."

"And I suppose that you are a doctor of some kind as well, young lady?" said Mayor Mills.

"Ah, no," said Penny. "I'm a waitress at the local Cheesecake Factory where we live."

"That's all very interesting," said Mayor Mills dryly. "Now, tell me: how did you people manage to enter Storybrooke?"

"Well, that's just it, ma'am," said Leonard. "We don't know . . . .

"You see, we were driving down a rural road one moment, and then all of a sudden we found ourselves in the middle of a town that isn't on our GPS."

"So, you weren't _looking_ where you were _going_ . . . ?" said Mayor Mills. "You were all _talking_ amongst yourselves and did not _notice_ that you had entered my town?"

"No," said Leonard. "I mean, yes, we were all _talking_ amongst ourselves. But my eyes _never_ left the road."

"And neither did _my_ eyes," added Howard with a dash of pride. "One second we were surrounded by trees and fields as far as we could see and then all of a sudden we were in an urban setting. We _mere _engineers do have eyes for details, you know . . . ."

"But what we cannot figure out is _how_ it happened," said Sheldon. "I was monitoring my QAD at the time, so I did not see what actually did happen. I had just detected some unusual readings in the area that we were driving through, and I sent out a phased, charged tachyon pulse from my QAD –"

"It was like that scene in "Back to the Future," interrupted Howard. "You know, when Marty got the DeLorean to 88 mph and the flux-capacitor discharged. One moment he was in the parking lot of the Twin Pines Mall and then suddenly he was in a farmer's field. The transition was pretty abrupt; just like someone had changed channels on a TV!"

Mayor Mills raised her eyebrow. "And what is this "QAD" that you are speaking of?"

"The "Quantum Anomaly Detector," or QAD," said Sheldon pedantically. "Is a device used for measuring anomalous fluctuations in the space-time continuum. Just prior to our entry into your town, I had detected some very unusual readings and was attempting to analyze them by sending out –"

"Stop right there . . . ," said Mayor Mills holding up her hand for silence. She then called Sheriff Graham back into her office, and instructed him to bring her the device that Sheldon described to her from the gang's minivan. Moments later, he returned with Sheldon's QAD, setting it on Mayor Mills' desk.

"So, _this _is the device that you used to enter Storybrooke?" Mayor Mills examined the device, which looked like a modified laptop computer, before locking it in her desk.

"Hey, that's mine!" said Sheldon. "Or, more accurately, it belongs to the Caltech Department of Physics!"

"Not _anymore . . . _," said Mayor Mills. She looked the group over. Except for the serving girl, they all wore costumes from that insipid television show, "Star Trek." _Nerds_, thought Mayor Regina Mills dismissively. But if _this _sorry bunch could find their way into Storybrooke with a tarted-up laptop computer, then so could _other_ natives of this world . . . . "For now, the five of you will remain here in Storybrooke."

Penny could not believe that this was happening. "Wait; are we under _arrest_, or something?"

"Or something . . . ," said Mayor Mills. "At least until I figure out what to do with the five of you."

"You can't do that to us!" said Penny. "We haven't done _anything_ wrong! You can't lock us up because we _almost_ hit your damned Mercedes!"

"Oh, that's not my reason for wanting to keep you here, Dearie," said Mayor Mills. "You see, we don't get _many_ visitors here in Storybrooke. In fact, we don't get _any_ visitors at all. And the fact that the five of you are here makes me feel . . . _threatened_."

"And I think that I know why," said Dr. Cooper in a slow, East Texas drawl. "In fact, I think that we _both_ know why you feel threatened by our presence here in Storybrooke, Mayor Mills."

"Oh, is that so . . . ," said Mayor Mills. Regina smiled thinly, and instructed Sheriff Graham to once again wait for them outside of her office. When the door closed behind him, Regina turned back to Sheldon, and said, "Well then, Dr. Sheldon Cooper, you claim to know why I feel threatened by your presence here in Storybrooke? Please enlighten me . . . ."

Sheldon said, "We all know what we saw. We were driving down a rural road flanked on either side by trees and farmland; a view that extended for _miles_ ahead of us and behind us. Then, inexplicably, we found ourselves in the middle of your town; a town that is not on our _fully updated_ GPS. And this happened at the _exact _moment that I initiated the phased, charged tachyon pulse to actively scan the space-time anomaly that I had detected."

Mayor Mills raised an eyebrow. "Go on . . . ."

"I have deduced that you and your townspeople are _not_ from around here."

"And . . . ?"

"I believe that you are not from our world."

"I . . . see," said Mayor Mills evenly. "And where, Dr. Cooper, do you suppose we came _from_?"

Sheldon said, "I believe that you are from a _parallel universe_. A universe whose inhabitants have fully mastered the applied quantum-based technology that allows you to travel between different locations in the multiverse as easily as our people can fly across oceans in jet airliners."

"Well, Dr. Cooper," said Mayor Mills. "I see that your degree in Theoretical Physics was well earned. Most of what you have said is _essentially_ correct." The gang all blinked in surprise at the mayor's directness. "But if you think that I used "quantum-based technology" to accomplish this, then you have no idea just how _wrong_ you are . . . ."

Regina gestured all around her. "I _brought_ this entire town and its inhabitants from my world to this world by the power of _magic_. I used a spell called "The Dark Curse." And in addition to bringing everyone here, my Dark Curse gave those it touched a new identity and the skills needed to bring them up to date with your world's technology and the local culture.

"Contrary to what you might think, the _technology _in my home world is rather primitive compared to yours. Our technology is at what you might call a "Medieval" or "Renaissance," pre-industrial level. But who needs mere technology when one has the power of _magic_ to get what they want . . . ?"

Nobody spoke for the next few moments. Sheldon was the first to break the silence.

"There is no need to patronize us," said Sheldon indignantly. "Though your technology is obviously as far ahead of ours as our Large Hadron Collider is from Stonehenge, it is _not _necessary to claim to have "magical powers," which we all know is scientifically impossible.

"Now, would you be so kind as to tell us _who_ you _really_ are and _why _you are here in our universe, on our world?"

"Dr. Cooper, despite what you may _want_ to believe or _think_ that you know, I did use magic to bring Storybrooke into your world," said Regina, stepping out from behind her desk. "Now, as for _why_ I am here, I will tell you . . . .

"I am here for the _happy ending_ that has been _denied_ me for so long! It is _my_ turn for _happiness_, and if I cannot get it in _my_ own world, then I shall have it in _this_ world!"

Raj whispered something to Howard, who said _sotto voce_, "Yeah, Raj, I'd like to give her a "happy ending," too . . . ."

Regina gave Raj and Howard a hard look, and then continued, "As for my name, would you be surprised if I told you that it really _is_ Regina Mills? Our worlds are more similar than you may imagine. In fact, I am speaking to you in my own, native tongue.

"But if you _truly _want to know who I am, then I will tell you that, as well . . . .

"I am _The Evil Queen_ from what is known in your world as the legend of "Snow White." Regina spat out the last two words with an extra helping of bitterness.

Again, for several moments, no one said anything. Suddenly, Howard brightened, turned to the others and said, "Oh! Oh, let me handle _this _one, guys! I'm _dressed _for it. Oh, this is just _too_ good to pass up!" He then turned to Regina and said, "Could you please _repeat_ what you just said for me, Madame Mayor . . . ?"

Regina rolled her eyes, sighed impatiently, and said, "I _said_ that I am The Evil Queen from your world's legend of "Snow White!"

Howard cleared his throat and in his best Walter Koenig imitation said, "And I am the _Tsar_ of all the _Russias_!"

"Oh!" said Sheldon. "Nice "Who Mourns for Adonis?" reference!"

"Sorry, Mr. Spock," said Howard, still in character. "But I have never met a Fairytale character before . . . ."

"And you haven't yet," Said Sheldon. "But to be absolutely accurate, the reply to Ensign Chekov's statement in the episode that you are referencing was spoken by Captain Kirk; not Mr. Spock."

"I-I knew that . . . ," said Howard.

"You think that I am _joking_?" said Regina, her expression sharpening. "Well, you _won't_ be laughing when I have you all locked up until I decide how I should best deal with you!"

"Y-you _can't_ do that to us, lady!" said Penny. "You have no _right_ to lock us up! We _haven't _done _anything_ wrong! Why are you being such a _bitch_?!"

"You _dare_ . . . ?" Regina rounded to Penny, eyes flaring. "I'll _not_ be spoken to in such an _insolent_ manner by a mere cheesecake-serving_ wench_! I am a _Queen_!"

"Yeah?" said Penny, planting her fists defiantly on her hips. "Well, you may have _been_ a queen in whatever part of the multi-various-_wherever_-it-is that Sheldon said you came from, but you're in _our_ world now, lady, and I think that you are _nothing_ but a _big bully_!

"You may control this town and have everyone else here _intimidated_, but I'm not falling for it! You can't talk to _us_ that way, much less push us around!

"And just so you know, "queenie," _I'm_ from _Nebraska_, and we _know_ how to deal with _bullies _there!"

"Oh, is _that_ so . . . ?" said Regina. The Mayor of Storybrooke went back to her desk and unlocked the drawer where she had just put Sheldon's QAD. Penny smiled. _That's _how you deal with a bully; you stand up to them and they back down, pure and simple.

But instead of taking out Sheldon's QAD, Regina removed a black, silk glove with a red heart embroidered on its cuff from the drawer and put it on her right hand. She then returned to face Penny.

_I'd been saving this just in case a moment like this ever happened_, thought Regina. _It can only be used once, and I hate to have to use it on this little cheesecake slut, but needs must . . . . _

"Because this is a Land Without Magic," said Regina evenly. "You obviously have no idea of _who_ you are dealing with and _what_ I am capable of _doing_. So let me give you all a little demonstration . . . ."

Before Penny could react, Regina punched her hard in her chest, catching the Nebraska girl by complete surprise. But what happened next was even more of a surprise. Penny looked down and saw that Regina's hand had actually _penetrated_ her chest like a move from some old 1970's Kung Fu movie. Regina held her hand there for a moment, to let what she had done sink into everyone's mind. Then she pulled her hand out and was clutching a red object that looked like a heart surrounded by some kind of glowing energy field.

"M-my _heart _. . . !" Penny gasped as she staggered backwards. Leonard caught her before she fell over. "That _alien bitch_ took my _heart_ . . . !"

"N-no, Penny," said Leonard. "No, she _didn't_! L-look at your chest! There is no wound or blood! It's gotta be a trick of some kind . . . !"

"Exactly!" said Howard. "Just like the trick that I do when I pull a quarter from behind your ear!" He stepped forward, right palm outward. "Uh, Penny, let me just _feel_ your _chest _for a _heartbeat_ . . . ."

"Back off, _Perv-owitz_!" said Penny. "I know _exactly_ what _you_ want to _feel _for . . . !" Penny brought her hands to her chest, and felt a small amount of relief when she did, indeed, feel her heart pounding within her.

But Regina definitely _did_ something to her; _took _something from her. And Penny never felt so _empty_ inside . . . .

Regina smiled triumphantly. "As you can see, I do, indeed, have the little cheesecake serving wench's heart and I will be _keeping_ it as assurance that none of you will leave my town until I say so, if ever I do.

"And should any of you try to leave Storybrooke without my permission, or offend me in any way; I shall do _this_ . . . ." Regina gave the glowing heart a light squeeze, making Penny gasp in pain, clutching her chest as she clung to Leonard for support.

"P-please stop!" cried Penny, sobbing.

Regina laughed at the sight of her tears. "Not so tough now, are we, _Nebraska girl_ . . . ?"

"A-alright, Mayor – _Queen_! _Queen Regina_!" said Leonard quickly. "You _have_ us! We _won't _try to leave Storybrooke without your permission! _Please _stop _hurting _Penny!"

Regina loosened her grip, relieving Penny of her pain. But before anyone could say anything else, Sheldon's cellphone rang. Sheldon checked it and said, "It's my, uh, girlfriend, Amy Farrah-Fowler."

"Don't answer it, Dr. Cooper," said Regina, still holding onto Penny's heart.

"I'd _better _answer it, Mayor Mills," said Sheldon. "Otherwise, our friends _might _try to find us."

Regina thought for a moment, then said, "Very well, Dr. Cooper. But use the speaker phone app so I can hear _everything_ that is said, and be _very_ careful _what _you say to her . . . ." Penny winced as Regina gave her heart a slight squeeze to emphasize her point.

Switching to speaker, Sheldon said, "Hello Amy, how are you."

"I am well, Sheldon," came a somewhat feminine voice from the phone. "Is my bestie with you?"

Sheldon looked over to Penny, and nodded. Penny said, "Uh, yeah, Amy. I-I'm here and I'm . . . fine . . . ."

"Excellent," said Amy. "How is the Star Trek Convention, bestie?"

"Uh, it's Star-Trek-y enough . . . ," said Penny.

"Very good," said Amy. "I hope that the guys did not try to talk you into wearing some slutty, Original Series female- guest-star outfit."

"Uh, no slutty outfits, no . . . ," said Penny, all the while watching Regina's hand ready to squeeze her heart. "Is, ah, Bernadette there? Howard wants to say, hello . . . ."

"Sorry, bestie," said Amy. "She had to step out for a moment. But guess who _is_ here? You'll never guess who . . . ."

"Uh, please tell us," said Penny. "Our battery is getting low."

A man's voice came on, and said, "Hey, Sheldon, how are you and the gang enjoying the convention?"

"W-Will . . . ?" said Sheldon. "_Will Wheaton_, Is that you?"

"Yeah, it is," said Will. "Hey, listen, if you see LeVar there, could you tell him . . . ?"

"Sorry, but we have to go now, Will!" said Sheldon, maybe a little too abruptly.

"Is everything _alright_, Sheldon? You don't sound so good."

Sheldon looked over to Regina, who mouthed; _"End this call, now!"_ as she held up Penny's heart or _whatever _it was that she took from the poor girl to show that she meant business.

"We _really_ have to go, _now_," said Sheldon. "And it may be a while before we are able to call you back. But don't worry, everything is fine with us."

"Are you _sure_?" said Will sounding more concerned. "Listen, Sheldon, if you are in any _trouble_ of some kind . . . ."

As nervous as Sheldon was, he could see that Regina was getting even more nervous, and whatever it was that she was holding, Regina was most certainly holding Penny's life in her hands. And she was getting impatient.

"We're alright Will," said Sheldon. "Honest. Condition Green, all is well."

"_Wait_, what, Sheldon?" said Will. "Are you _saying_ . . . ?"

"I'm _saying_ that we are all _alright_!" said Sheldon. "Do I have to spell it out for you? I said, _Condition Green_, all is well! Now _please_ let us get back to our convention. Say goodbye to Amy and Bernadette for us. But we gotta go _now_!"

Then Sheldon ended the call. A long moment of silence followed, and then Regina said, "Very good, Dr. Cooper . . . .

"Now I think that it might be a good idea if you all hand over your cellphones to me, _right now_!" Regina again brandished Penny's heart, and the five friends scrambled to put their phones on Regina's desk.

Regina locked Penny's heart in her desk drawer along with Sheldon's QAD and the gang's cellphones. She then called Sheriff Graham to come back into her office.

"Sheriff Graham, I want you to escort these people to Granny's Bed and Breakfast. They will be staying there as my "guests" until I have decided what I should do with them.

"I also want you to search them and their van thoroughly before you leave and confiscate _any_ electronic device that might be used to contact anyone outside of Storybrooke.

"I'll call Granny's to let them know that these people will be arriving and that they are to make no long-distance calls on their room's landline." She then lowered her voice so the sheriff could not hear, and added, "I trust that the five of you will be no trouble, now that I have Little Miss Cheesecake's heart to _guarantee_ your cooperation . . . ?"

Still in shock by what had just happened, the guys and Penny followed Sheriff Graham out to their minivan with Regina bringing up the rear. No one said anything as Leonard helped Penny into the front passenger seat of the minivan while Regina watched with satisfaction.

"Kindly follow me," said Sheriff Graham. "Granny's Bed and Breakfast is not far from here."

Before Sheriff Graham could get into his Patrol Car, a young boy about nine or ten who was wearing a school uniform came up to the mayor, and said, "M-mom? What's going on here? Who are these people? I've never seen them in town before . . . ."

The boy tried to get closer to the minivan to get a better view of its occupants, but Regina put her hand on the boy's shoulder, restraining him. The boy looked up at Regina, and said, "And why are they dressed like _that . . ._?"

"These people will be staying with us in Storybrooke for a little while, Henry," said Regina. "And while they are here, you are to have no contact with them whatsoever. Do I make myself absolutely clear, Henry?"

"Y-yes, mom . . . ."

"Good. Now please get cleaned up. You have your first session with Dr. Hopper today and I don't want you to be late. And then afterwards, we'll have our dinner at Granny's Diner. You'd like that, wouldn't you, Henry?"

"Yes, mom . . . ."

"As for our . . . guests, they were just leaving," said Regina. She nodded to Sheriff Graham, who got into his car and drove away, the minivan following closely behind him.

Back in Pasadena, Will Wheaton said, "They're in _trouble_, Amy."

"W-what do you mean, Will?"

"Sheldon said, "_Condition Green_." In the Original Star Trek Series, this was a _Duress Code_ used by Starfleet that means a Landing Party is in trouble, but that we are to make no attempt to assist them at the moment."

"But we have to do _something_," said Amy. "Shouldn't we call the police?"

"And tell them what?" said Will shaking his head. "Sheldon told us that we should just sit tight for the moment, and wait for him to contact us. And that is just what we are going to do.

"As soon as Bernadette comes back, we need to tell her what just happened," said Will. "We need to have our phones ready and monitor our email accounts until Sheldon contacts us."

"What then?" said Amy. "What do you think happened to them?"

"Who knows?" said Will. "The only thing that I can say with any certainty is that they are not being held captive by hostile aliens . . . ."


	2. LARPing to Cope

**Part Two: LARPing to Cope**

The guys and Penny settled in to their rooms at Granny's Bed and Breakfast, which they had to admit was _not_ a bad place to stay, their present circumstances notwithstanding.

Mayor Mills had set them up in two rooms; one with extra beds for the four men, and another, private room for Penny. But Penny did not want to be alone, and was at the moment lying curled up on one of the extra beds in the guy's room, sobbing softly.

"This _isn't_ happening!" said Penny between sobs. "This _has_ to be a bad dream. That bitch Regina _took_ my heart! She actually took my _heart_ . . . ."

Leonard sat on the bed beside Penny, taking her hand, gently putting his fingers on her wrist. "I can feel your pulse, Penny," said Leonard. "We all saw what Regina did to you. But your heart _must_ still be in your body. You _definitely _have a pulse."

Penny sat up, putting her hands on her chest. "I can feel my heart beating, too, Leonard," said Penny. "But, guys, I know that Regina took my _heart_. I don't know why I can still feel my heart beating inside me. But I _know_ that Regina took my heart from me."

"Don't worry, Penny," said Leonard. "We'll figure this out, right guys?"

The other three all replied in agreement. But Penny shook her head. "I-I shouldn't have called Regina a _bitch_! I mean, she _is_ one, but . . . ."

"Well, actually," said Howard. "Under the circumstances, you wearing a _red shirt_ didn't help much, either." Penny looked at Howard quizzically. Howard continued, "In the Original "Star Trek" series . . . bad things always happened to the crew people on the Landing Parties who were wearing the Red Shirts . . . ."

Howard trailed off. He realized that he was not an expert when it came to picking up on social cues. He apologized to Penny, but then something hit him; something that he should have realized earlier but had overlooked in all of the initial excitement.

"Y-you guys all _realize _what just _happened_, don't you?" said Howard without as much emotion as he would have imagined a situation like this warranted.

"We've just made _First Contact_!" said Howard. "We've made _First Contact_ with a being from _another universe_! We've all dreamed of doing something like this; of meeting an intelligent being from _another world_! This is an actual Close Encounter of the Third Kind!"

"But now that it has _actually _happened . . . ."

"Yes," said Raj nodding. Were it not for the Mayor taking Penny's heart (or _whatever_ it was that she took,) Raj would have imagined the guys celebrating like they had all won the Nobel Prize in their chosen fields. But . . . . "I guess that there is nothing like a little reality to spoil a perfectly legitimate, nerdy fantasy, huh guys . . . ?"

"We are actually being held captive by a being from a parallel universe," said Sheldon thoughtfully. "And this alien being appears to be hostile. I must admit that the situation looks pretty hopeless . . . .

"Now, I need to ask myself, "What would _Mr. Spock_ do in a situation like this . . . ?"

"Stop it!" said Penny sitting up abruptly from the bed. "_Stop it!_ Sheldon, that alien _bitch_ Regina took my _heart _and _you_ want to play "_Star Trek_?!"

Nobody spoke. The only sounds in the room for the next few minutes were Penny's sobs.

Then Leonard turned to Penny, and said, "You know, Penny, I think that Sheldon may _actually_ have a good idea about how we can get your heart, or whatever it is that Regina took from you, back and get us all back home."

"I do?" said Sheldon. "Leonard, I don't recall saying _anything_ about what we need to do . . . ."

"No. Not about _what _we need to do, Sheldon," said Leonard. "I mean, _how_ we need to go about _doing_ it . . . .

"Penny, I don't think that any of _us_ can get out of Storybrooke," said Leonard. Penny looked up at him even more desperately than before. But Leonard continued. "What I mean is that this situation is more than _we_ can deal with.

"But the crew of the _USS Enterprise_ would be able to find a way out."

"OK, so, how is _playing_ that you are "Star Trek" characters going to help us?" said Penny skeptically, sniffling as she wiped her eyes.

Leonard shook his head. "Not just "_playing_," Penny; "_LARPing_."

"Huh?"

"LARPing," said Sheldon. "It means "Live Action Role Playing."

"W-what's the difference?" said Penny shaking her head.

Leonard's mind was racing. He decided to try a different approach. "Penny, have you ever heard of Nancy Drew?"

"Of course I have," said Penny. "I read some of those books when I was little. Why? Do you want me to pretend to be Nancy Drew while you pretend to be Captain Kirk?

"We're _trying_ to get my heart back from Regina and escape from Storybrooke, Sweetie; not spice-up our love-life . . . ."

Leonard shook his head and continued. "Penny, I once read about a girl – this happened about thirty or forty years ago. Anyway, this girl was about ten or twelve, and she was _kidnapped _and locked in the trunk of a car.

"As you can imagine, she was _terrified_! But this girl was able to calm herself down and even escape from her captors by pretending that she _was_ Nancy Drew. She said that she did what Nancy Drew would have done in a similar situation, and was able to survive and escape. And she did this by LARPing."

"Go on," said Penny. Already she seemed calmer, and was beginning to see where Leonard was going with this.

"Penny, as I said, this situation is far more serious than anything that Leonard Hofstadter, Sheldon Cooper, Howard Wolowitz and Raj Koothrappali can handle.

"But Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Ensign Chekov, and Captain Koloth-"

"Actually," said Raj. "I'd rather be Captain _Kang_. I mean, guys, Michael Ansara is way more of a _badass_ than William Campbell, who in any case is better known for his role as Trelane, the Squire of Gothos."

"Alright, alright!" said Leonard. "You can be _Kang_!"

"Calm down, Earthman," said Raj, his voice deepening. "Only a fool fights in a burning house!"

"So, by playing - _LARPing_ as "Star Trek" characters," said Penny. "You think that you all can figure out what is going on here and get my heart back and get us back home?"

"It worked for that little girl," said Leonard shrugging. "I think that this is the best chance that we have. Are we all in agreement?" Leonard canvassed the room and everyone nodded.

"Alright, guys," said Leonard. "Just a few simple rules; this "adventure" is set at the end of the Star Trek Original Series and before "Star Trek – The Motion Picture."

Leonard continued. "We say "IC" when we are "in character," and "OOC," when we are "out of character." And when we are _out of character_, we use our _real _names." Again, everyone nodded. Leonard gave Penny's hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"Alright, everyone, here we go! We are now IC . . . ."

Leonard said as "Captain Kirk," "Captain's Log, Stardate . . . Classified."

"Nice touch!" said Sheldon. Leonard shot him a look, and Sheldon resumed his stoic, Spock face.

"While on our way to Starbase 11 for an important conference, the Shuttlecraft _Galileo 7_ has inadvertently entered a parallel universe that resembles an early 21st Century Earth village of the kind found on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States of America.

"We are currently being held against our will by a powerful alien being, who calls herself Mayor Regina Mills, the Evil Queen of the town of Storybrooke, Maine.

"During our initial encounter, Regina Mills attacked Penny; apparently by removing her heart. Our mission is to recover Penny's heart and return back to Federation space . . . .

"Mr. Spock, analysis of our current situation. What did Regina Mills do to Penny, and how do we undo it and return home . . . ?"

"Captain," said "Spock." "Upon further reflection, I believe that Regina Mills has, in fact, taken Penny's heart and has it encased in a quantum-entangled energy field."

"But how can that be, Shel -, uh, _Mr. Spock_?" said Penny. "I _know_ what Regina did, but I can _still_ feel my heart beating in my chest. How can it be _two_ places at once?"

"Penny, I believe that your heart is, indeed, in two places at once," said "Spock." "The people in Regina Mills' native universe have obviously mastered applied quantum-based technology. I believe that she is accomplishing this by way of quantum particle-entanglement. This allows your heart to perform its circulatory functions even though it is several miles away at this time. Indeed, according to Quantum Theory, this is not only possible, but logical."

"Yeah," said Penny. "So, how do we get it back and put it back _inside_ me?"

"For the moment," said "Spock." "We only need to retrieve your heart from Regina Mills to prevent her from harming you further through manual compression. Even if we are not able to reinstall it, there is no reason why you should not be able to live long and prosper if you keep your disembodied heart in a secure place."

"Don't worry, Penny," said "Kirk." "We will do everything in our power to retrieve your heart and restore it to its original place.

"Now, Spock, how _did _we end up in Storybrooke in the first place, and will we be able to get _out_?"

"Captain," said "Spock." "Just prior to our entry into the spatial anomaly known as "Storybrooke, Maine," I had picked-up unusual fluctuations in space-time on my Quantum Anomaly Detector. I attempted further analysis by initiating an _active scan_ in the form of a phased, charged tachyon pulse directed at the anomaly. I believe this is what resulted in our orthogonal multi-universal coordinate transfer."

"Mr. Spock," said "Captain Kirk." "Do you think that the process that got us here may be reversed?"

"I believe so, Captain," said "Spock." "However, to do this, I shall require our Quantum Anomaly Detector; both for the data in its memory banks as well as for the equipment needed to generate a phased, charged tachyon pulse."

"Unfortunately, _Keptin_," said "Chekov." "Mayor Regina Mills has taken the _dewice_ from us. Getting it back may be a problem."

"Agreed," said "Kirk." "We may need to get . . . creative. Spock, are you able to manufacture a _replacement_ QAD from available materials?"

"Negative, Captain," said "Spock." "The QAD represents state-of-the-art Federation technology. I cannot replicate it with the 21st Century Earth hardware available to us here in Storybrooke."

"But, Spock," said "Kirk." "The last time we were in Earth's past, you were able to construct a replacement mnemonic memory circuit for our tricorder using what you referred to as little more than "_stone knives and bearskins_." "The electronic hardware available to us here is more capable than the vacuum tubes you had to work with in the early part of the 20th Century. Surely you can construct _some _kind of replacement?"

Sheldon said, "OOC. Leonard, the Caltech QAD represents the latest in quantum field-sensing technology. To construct a suitable replacement, I would need at least 10 – 12 standard laptop computers wired in parallel. And even then, I will _still_ need the data from the QAD's hard drive to determine exactly what happened if we are to have any hope of reversing the phenomenon that got us inside of Storybrooke in the first place. And for that, we will still need the tachyon pulse scanner from the QAD to open an exit portal for us.

"Now, while I am sure that Howard _would_ be able to construct a replacement emitter with available materials, it could take a long time for him to do it, given the components available and our somewhat limited financial resources. And, guys, I'm not sure that we have a lot of time to work with.

"My current hypothesis is that we were able to enter Storybrooke in the first place through a weakness in the space-time displacement field that Regina has in place surrounding the town. We cannot count on that flaw being available to us indefinitely."

Leonard said, "OOC. How much time do you think we have, Sheldon?"

"I don't know, Leonard," admitted Sheldon. "Not without being able to review the data on the QAD. We simply cannot leave Storybrooke without it . . . ."

Sheldon said, "IC. Captain, we absolutely must have the QAD to leave Storybrooke."

Leonard said, "IC. Then we shall have to get it back."

"And my heart," said Penny, a little calmer than when they started.

"And your heart," confirmed "Kirk." "Gentlemen, I think that we need to find out more about this place called "Storybrooke." And the sooner we do this, the sooner we can leave with Penny's heart."

"Vere do ve start lookink, _Keptin_?" said "Chekov."

"Yes, Kirk," said "Kang." "Where do we begin our search for information? This Regina Mills seems to be quite a formidable adversary."

Just before "Kirk" could answer him, there was a knock on the door. When "Kirk" answered it, he was surprised to see a schoolboy wearing a backpack; the same boy who had called Regina "mom" just before they left the Town Hall earlier in the afternoon.

"OOC," said Leonard to the others in the room. He turned to the boy, and said, "You're the _Mayor's_ son, aren't you? Won't you get in trouble by talking to us?"

"I _am_ the Mayor's son," said the boy. "But being seen talking with you is a risk that I have to take.

"My name is Henry Mills, and it is _very _important that I talk with you. May I please come in?" Before Leonard could reply, the boy slid by him and into the room, taking off his school backpack and setting it on the floor. He looked quizzically at Sheldon, Raj and Howard, and then back to Leonard. "First, why are the four of you dressed like this?"

"OOC," said Howard. "Uh, well, we were on our way to a Star Trek Convention and ended up here by mistake."

"How did that happen?" said the boy. "Did you make a wrong turn, or something?"

"OOC," said Raj. "You probably would not believe us if we told you, Henry. Why? Is how we got here important?"

"It could be," said Henry. "The five of you are the first outsiders to come into Storybrooke that I have ever seen. There is something _very_ strange about this town. Nobody ever comes here, and nobody ever leaves. Some have _tried_ to leave, but bad things _always _happen to those who try to leave. Uh, do you guys have anything to drink?"

Penny looked wide-eyed at the boy. "_What _do you mean by _that_, Henry?"

"Well," said Henry. "Whenever someone _tries _to leave, something bad happens that _stops_ them . . . ."

"No," said Penny. "I mean, what did _you_ mean by, "Do we have anything to _drink_?" I can see that you are all stressed-out, sweetie, but aren't you a little young to try and take the edge off _that _way?"

Henry sighed. "I mean like orange juice or grape juice or something; _anything_ but apple juice. I'm very thirsty. Please and thank you."

"Oh," said Penny. There was a small refrigerator in the room that was stocked with cans of juice. Penny put a dollar in the honor-jar, and handed a can of cold OJ to Henry, who took it gratefully.

After Henry took a long swallow, Leonard asked, "What were you saying about "bad things" happening to stop people from leaving Storybrooke?"

"You've all met the lady who runs this place and the diner, right?" said Henry. "Well, she had a heart attack just as her granddaughter tried to leave town. Ruby – that's her granddaughter, _had_ to come back to look after her."

"Henry, your anecdotal observation does not necessarily indicate that something artificial is keeping people in this town against their will," said Sheldon. "Your logic is faulty, young man."

"Uh, Sheldon, sweetie?" said Penny. "You _may_ want to go OOC for this . . . ."

"I am OOC," said Sheldon. "Didn't I say that I was going OOC?"

"No," said Howard. "At least, I didn't hear you say it."

"And you have to admit," said Penny, smiling for the first time since Regina attacked her. "In _your _case, it is kind of hard to tell where Sheldon ends and Spock begins . . . ."

"Why, thank you, Penny," said Sheldon sincerely.

"Let's just get back to talking about this town," said Leonard. "Henry, what else have you noticed about this town that seems . . . odd to you?"

"Lots of stuff," said Henry, finishing off the can of juice. "This is going to sound weird, but _everything_ seems to be _repeating_ itself from one day to the next. Uh, could I have some more juice? Grape this time, please and thank you." Again, Penny put a dollar into the jar and gave Henry a can of grape juice. The boy took a healthy swig, and continued, "The same things keep happening over and over every day. It's most noticeable in the morning, but lots of the same things happen during the rest of the day and at night, too."

"What do you mean by, "repeating itself," Henry?" said Sheldon. "Oh, and guys, FYI, I'm still OOC . . . ."

Henry opened his backpack and took out a large notebook. "I've been keeping notes about all the stuff that happens in the morning. That's really the only time that I can do it. I've got school, you know.

"Anyway, people do and say the same things every morning. Mostly that is. There do seem to be some little differences, like what people wear, and stuff. But it is mostly the same. And I can prove it.

"I'm going to leave my notebook with you guys to go over. Tomorrow morning, please meet me here." Henry gave Leonard a crudely drawn, albeit detailed, map of the center of town with a red "X" mark drawn on the map where they were to meet. The time for the meeting was written next to the red "X" mark.

"Just read my notes, and tomorrow morning, you will see that I'm not making this stuff up." Henry put his backpack back on and went to the door. "But I gotta go now, or my mom will get suspicious if I am gone for too long. She told me not to talk to any of you while you are in town. Thanks for the juice."

"Henry, wait a moment," said Leonard. He glanced back at Penny, and then back to Henry. "Your mom _does _seem to have everyone in town . . . intimidated."

"Everyone does what she says," said Henry nodding. "She runs Storybrooke; her and Mr. Gold. He's the richest man in town, and he owns most of the town, including Granny's Bed and Breakfast.

"But my mom is the one in charge, and she scares _everyone_."

Leonard continued, "Have you ever seen your mom do anything . . . unusual, Henry? Things that might not seem . . . physically possible?"

"Like what?" asked Henry.

Penny said, "Henry, your mother and I had a . . . little _misunderstanding_ back at the Town Hall when we first got here. Anyway, your mom _took _something of mine that is _very_ important to me. And believe me; I don't think that I can, uh . . . live _without_ it . . . ."

"I-I'm not sure what you mean, ma'am," said Henry. "What did she take from you?"

"It's kind of . . . private, Henry," said Penny.

"Oh, I get it," said Henry. "Girl stuff, right?"

"Uh, yeah," said Penny. "Let's go with that, for now . . . ."

"Alright, Henry," said Leonard. "We'll be there."

"Great," said Henry smiling.

Leonard said, "Uh, Henry, one more thing. My friends and I are . . . practicing our character impressions for the "Star Trek" convention that we still hope to get to. So for a lot of the time, we will be acting in character . . . .

"I'm portraying Captain Kirk. Sheldon is Spock, Howard is Chekov, and Raj is Kang."

"Yeah," said Howard. "We are trying to win a prize."

"That's cool," said Henry. "Well, I'll see you all tomorrow morning!" Then Henry left as quickly as he came.

Leonard said, "IC," and "Kirk" said, "Well, it seems that our fact-finding will begin tomorrow in town. Until then, we should all familiarize ourselves with Henry Mills' notes, and try to get some rest.

"It appears that we will be having a big day, tomorrow. Everybody take shifts studying the notebook and resting."

Then Leonard said, "OOC," and turned to Penny, and added, "Don't worry, Penny. The crew of the _USS Enterprise_ never fails, no matter how powerful the threat they find themselves up against. Please try to get some sleep. We'll all be right here for you . . . ."

The next day, "Kirk," "Spock," and "Chekov" went to the place on Henry's map at the appointed time while "Kang" stayed at Granny's with Penny. (And interestingly, while Raj was IC as "Kang," he was able to speak with Penny freely, without his usual shyness.)

Moments later, Henry appeared behind them, and said, "Thanks for coming. Did you all read my notes?"

"Affirmative," said "Spock." "I must say that your notes were quite extensive and very well organized, Henry. You would make a fine anthropologist."

"Thanks, Mr. Spock," said Henry, who apparently had no problem with playing along. "But please pay attention; _everything_ is about to begin . . . _now_ . . . ."

About fifteen minutes later, Henry had to leave when he saw the school bus coming down the street. Henry told them that he would see them again tomorrow at Granny's Bed and Breakfast early in the morning before he went to school.

"I'll do what I can to help you get away from Storybrooke and my mom," said Henry. "But there is something that I want you to do for me. And I won't kid you; it is a _very _big request."

The school bus was just pulling up and Henry began heading to it. "Kirk" said, "What would you like us to do for you, Henry?"

"I don't _belong_ here," said Henry seriously. "I was born in Arizona and I was adopted. My birth-mom gave me up; she _didn't_ love me. My adoptive mom _says_ that she loves me, but I think that she is lying. I can't _take_ it anymore. I can't _live_ here anymore . . . .

"When you do leave Storybrooke, _please_ take me with you!" Before any of them could reply, the boy ran for the bus. "I'll see you all later, tomorrow morning!"

After Henry's demonstration of Storybrooke's strangeness, "Kirk," "Spock," and "Chekov" called Penny and "Kang" from an old-fashioned pay-phone and asked them to join them at Granny's Diner to have breakfast and to discuss what they had seen that morning. After they brought "Kang" and Penny up to speed, the attractive waitress, Ruby, brought their orders to their booth.

When Ruby left, Raj said, "OOC. Howard . . . ?" Raj whispered something into his friend's ear.

Howard said, "OOC. Oh, yeah! Ruby _is_ smokin' hot!"

"Calm yourself down, _Ensign Chekov_," said "Kirk." "I think that it is safe to say that _nobody_ in this town is what they appear to be. For all you know, Ruby could be an _alien shape-shifter_, or something.

"Now get back IC; we have important matters to discuss."

Both Howard and Raj said, "IC," and "Kirk" continued.

"Analysis, Mr. Spock."

"Based on Henry's notes, I must say that the events we witnessed this morning were nothing less than fascinating. The day seems to begin in Storybrooke much the same way that it does every morning.

"The old gentleman on the ladder, fixing that sign, the argument between Granny and Ruby over work schedules and the near collision on the sidewalk between Henry's mother and his teacher, Miss Blanchard.

"Henry has documented these and other incidents occurring each morning for the past year, but says that they had been going on for as long as he can remember.

"In addition, Henry has documented the _differences_ that he has noticed as well as the similarities. For example, the gentleman on the ladder may be repairing the sign with a hammer, or a screwdriver, or a ratchet set. Sometimes he has his tool box on the ladder shelf, sometimes he leaves the tool box on the ground, and sometimes he does not even have the box at all.

"Henry has also documented that people's dress varies from day to day, as well. The young waitress Ruby, for example, was wearing a short skirt and a halter-top yesterday, though today she has on a jacket and tight jeans."

"Oh, man," said Howard. "I'd have liked to see what Ruby had on _yesterday_!" Leonard shot him a look of disapproval, and Howard said, as "Chekov," "I am sorry, Keptin. But Ruby is _wery_ beautiful, no?"

"She is, Ensign Chekov," said "Kirk." "But we are _not _here to take in the scenery. Mr. Spock, please continue."

"This entire town is practically a laboratory experiment for testing Hugh Everett's "Many Worlds" theory. Every day begins the same way, but the minor differences that occur as the result of choices made by the individuals involved and the resulting consequences of these differences become more apparent by the end of the day. I find this to be absolutely fascinating, Captain."

"Well, as fascinating as it may be," said "Kirk." "We still need to find a way to get Penny's heart back and to escape from this town.

"And on the subject of leaving, there is also Henry's request to consider. The boy has offered to help us, but said that he wants to come with us in exchange for his assistance."

"I'm not sure that we will be able to take Henry with us, Captain," said "Spock." "Based on Henry's previous statements, any attempt to leave this town with one of its residents could have an adverse effect on _our_ ability to safely leave Storybrooke."

Leonard said, as "Kirk," "Henry told us that he was adopted by Mayor Regina Mills ten years ago. He was born in our world. The same rules may not apply to natives of our universe."

"Bringing Henry with us could be problematical for another reason, Captain," said "Spock." "The _Galileo 7_ was carrying five people when we first entered Storybrooke. If we attempt to leave with an additional passenger, we may need to recalibrate the frequency of the phased, charged tachyon pulse in order to return to our own universe. Calculating the correct frequency will take time; time that may not be available to us."

Penny said, "Mr. Spock? What would happen if someone _stayed_ behind in Storybrooke to allow Henry a seat on the, ah, "shuttlecraft" so he could leave? Would you need to make any adjustments then?"

Leonard said, "OOC. Penny, _what the hell are you saying_? Are you saying that you want to _stay_ here so Henry would be able to leave? What do you think that Regina would do to you if we left you behind?"

"We simply can't leave Henry with that monster Regina," said Penny. "Henry is a _native_ of our universe; of our world! He doesn't _belong_ with these people!"

"Penny, Regina has your _heart_ . . ," said Leonard. "If you stay here so Henry can leave with the rest of us, what do you think Regina will do to you?"

"As you just pointed out, sweetie," said Penny. "Regina has my _heart_. What more can she do to me?"

A voice came from the booth behind Penny. "Oh, I think that I know what Regina will do to you, Dearie, and I think that you know it, too . . . .

"Regina will _crush_ your heart and kill you; probably right in front of your friends. She likes to do it that way. That is, if you are lucky.

"But believe me, Dearie, there are _worse_ things that Regina can do to you. And when Regina doesn't get her way, she can be quite _creative _when punishing those individuals that she believes to be responsible for her current misfortune . . . ."

Raj said as "Kang," "This is a _private_ conversation, _Earthman_."

"Well then, maybe the five of you should consider keeping your voices down to a dull roar, Laddie. The _entire_ diner can hear you." The man got up from his booth and came over to them, lowered his voice and added, "And, as the five of you have _already_ figured out, with the exception of Henry Mills, _none_ of us here in Storybrooke are _native_ to _Earth_ . . . .

"But be that as it may, my name is Mr. Gold, and I may be able to help the young lady get her heart back from Regina. But if I do this for you, there is a price . . . .

"If you _ever _find a way to leave Storybrooke, you _cannot_ take Henry with you," said Mr. Gold. "The boy _must_ remain here in Storybrooke."

"Why do _you people_ have Henry here, Mr. Gold?" said Penny. "Does Regina want him here to _experiment_ on or to _study_ . . . ?"

"Calm yourself, Dearie, it's nothing like that," said Mr. Gold. "Henry is in no danger from anyone here, least of all from Regina. Whatever else Regina Mills may be and has done in the past, she _does_ love her son."

"And what about our QAD?" said "Kang." "We will be unable to leave this so-called "Storybrooke" without this device."

Mr. Gold said, "_That_ particular item I will _not_ help you get back."

"May we ask you why not?" Leonard said.

"For now," said Mr. Gold. "Let's just say that your leaving here is not in my best interests any more than it is in Regina's interests."

"What if we promise not to tell anyone on the outside about Storybrooke?" said Howard.

"Well now, that's a chance that none of us here can take, Laddie," said Mr. Gold. "Now, do you want the girl's heart back, or not?" When everyone nodded in assent, Mr. Gold said, "Right, now go to the Mayor's office at the Town Hall in an hour. Ask Regina to give the girl back her heart. I'll be there a few minutes later, and we'll see what I can do . . . ."

The door to the Mayor's office was closed, but from the sounds coming from inside, Sheldon could tell that the office was occupied. Sheldon knocked on the door, deciding to use Regina's official title from her home dimension to address her:

_Knock*knock*knock_ . . . "Evil Queen?" _Knock*knock* knock_ . . . "Evil Queen?" _Knock*knock*knock . . . _"Evil Queen . . . ?"

When there was no answer, Penny put her ear to the door, and said, "Uh, Sheldon, sweetie? _Maybe_ we should come back _later_. From the sounds coming from Regina's office, I _don't_ think that she is _alone_, and from a lot of _personal _experience I can tell you that she will _not_ appreciate being _interrupted_ in the middle of . . . ."

"Ah," said Sheldon, putting his ear to the door for a quick listen. "I believe that I understand." Again, Sheldon knocked on the door to the Mayor's Office:

_Knock*knock*knock_ . . . "Evil Queen and Sheriff Graham?" _Knock*knock*knock_ . . . "Evil Queen and Sheriff Graham?" _Knock*knock*knock_ . . . "Evil Queen and Sheriff Graham . . . ?"

This time the door opened and Mayor Regina Mills and Sheriff Graham came out, adjusting their clothes. "Please come back later, Sheriff," said Regina. "And we can finish our, ah, _meeting_ at a later time."

When the sheriff left, Regina rounded to Sheldon, and said, "Do you have _any_ idea _what_ you have just _interrupted_, Dr. Cooper . . . ?"

"I believe that I do, Mayor Mills," replied Sheldon. "Though I must admit that I am puzzled . . . .

"I would have thought that a highly advanced being from a parallel universe that has mastered applied quantum technology would have evolved beyond the need for something as crude and unhygienic as _coitus_ . . . ."

Regina shook her head. "And what _exactly_ is it that you are trying to say?"

"I believe that I was quite clear, Madame Mayor," replied Sheldon. "I am saying . . . ."

Penny moved to Sheldon's side and said, "Mayor Mills, I'll come right to the point. I'm so _sorry_ that I talked back to you and called you a "bitch." That was way out of line . . . . May I please, please, _please _have my _heart_ back, uh, Your Majesty . . . ?"

"I'm sorry, too, Dearie," said Regina. "But I can't take the chance that the five of you won't tell anyone that Storybrooke exists. I need your heart for assurance that you won't try to leave."

Sheldon said, "We are _already_ unable to leave without our Quantum Anomaly Detector set to emit a phased, charged tachyon pulse. As long as you have that, it is physically _impossible _for any of us to leave Storybrooke. Holding on to Penny's heart is superfluous and most illogical."

"I'll be the judge of that," said Regina.

Before anyone could reply, Mr. Gold came up to the group standing outside the door to the Mayor's Office, and said, "Am I interrupting anything, Madame Mayor?"

"Not at all, Mr. Gold," said Regina. "These people were just leaving . . . ."

"Well, actually," said Mr. Gold. "These people are the very reason why I am here to see you. I have not seen any of them in town until now, and I thought that we should discuss their presence and all that it implies."

"Don't worry, Mr. Gold," said Regina. "The matter is well . . . _in hand_." Regina held up her hand and made a squeezing motion that made Penny shiver. "But you may come in to my office to express your concerns. As I said, Mr. Gold, these people were just leaving."

Penny said, "But, Madame Mayor, if you would only _please_ give me . . . ."

"I said, NO!" snapped Regina, relishing the look of despair on Penny's face.

Mr. Gold turned to Penny and said, "Does the Mayor have something that belongs to you, Dearie?"

"Y-yes . . . ," said Penny, barely louder than a whisper.

"Now, what would that be . . . ?" said Mr. Gold. "Ah, it's no matter what it is. Whatever it may be, you are clearly distraught. And we can't have that, Dearie, now can we . . . ?

"Madame Mayor, will you _please_ give back whatever it is that you took from this young lady? _Please_ . . . ?"

Regina blinked, signed, and said, "Oh, _very well!_ If it'll stop this girl's endless _caterwauling_, I'll give it back . . . !

"I was holding on to what I took from the girl as collateral to ensure your cooperation. But as the freak with the rubber ears just pointed out, I already _have_ something to keep you people from leaving my town until I say so, if I ever do.

"Penny, Dearie, if you would kindly follow me into my office. We can do what needs to be done to return what I have taken while the others wait for us in the hall.

"And just so you know, Penny; what I am about to do is going to hurt _you_ a _lot more_ than it is going to hurt _me_ . . . !"

Timidly, Penny followed Regina into her office, the door closing behind them. A few moments later, the group heard Penny's muffled cry of pain.

Mr. Gold said, "There now. It is done. Just remember your part of our bargain.

"Even if you do manage to find a way out of Storybrooke, the boy stays _here_ no matter how much he begs you to take him with you. Do I make myself crystal clear?"

Just as the four men nodded, the door to the Mayor's office opened, and Penny came out, followed closely by Mayor Mills.

"And just remember this, Penny," said Regina. "I took it once, and I can take it again. And if I _must_ take it again, I'll not be putting it in a box in my desk drawer; I'll be picking up its crushed remains off the floor of my office with a _vacuum cleaner_ while the rest of you will be taken out of my office on a _stretcher_!"

"Y-yes, Madame Mayor," said Penny in an uncharacteristically timid voice. Leonard noticed that Penny looked humiliated, but not depressed or sad. He hoped that that was a good sign.

Then Regina said, "I will be discussing your presence here in Storybrooke with Mr. Gold. He is one of our leading citizens here in Storybrooke, and I value his counsel and opinions.

"For now, I want you to go back to your rooms at Granny's to await my decision . . . ."


	3. The Power of Hope

**Part Three: The Power of Hope **

Back at Granny's Bed and Breakfast, Penny had finally fallen asleep for the first time since they found themselves in Storybrooke. As she slept, Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Raj discussed their current situation, (both in and out of character,) as they tried to figure out what to do next, but without much luck.

The next morning, Henry Mills came to visit them, just as he said that he would do before going school. They took the conversation out in the hallway, since Penny was still asleep. Leonard explained to the boy that they were able to get back what Henry's mom had taken from Penny, but that they could not get back what they needed to get back home.

"And even if we could get what we need back from Mayor Mills," said Leonard. "I am afraid that we will _not _be able to take you along with us."

"But I can _get _you the _keys_ to the _Mayor's Office_!" said Henry desperately. "I can help you get your stuff back so we could _all_ leave Storybrooke!

"But I _won't_ do it _unless_ you say that you _will_ take me with you!"

Sheldon said, "Henry, please try to understand that we-"

"NO!" said Henry. "If I can't go, then you can't go, either! I hope that you like Storybrooke, because without my help, all of you are going to be here for a _very_ long time!"

Leonard said, "Henry, please wait . . . ."

But the boy had already ran down the stairs and was gone, along with their only hope of being able to leave Storybrooke and return home to Pasadena and Caltech.

The guys decided that they would let Penny continue to sleep, and tell her what happened with Henry when she woke up. Meanwhile, the guys kept trying to figure out how they might be able to leave Storybrooke, but to no avail.

When Penny finally did wake up, the guys told her about their meeting with Henry that morning. Penny seemed to take the news stoically, saying, "At least I have my heart back." Still tired from her earlier ordeal, Penny turned in early that evening. Her only request was that she not be left alone in the room while she slept.

Later that evening, their room's landline phone rang, and Mayor Regina Mills called them back to her office at the Storybrooke Town Hall to tell them her decision.

After a quick game of _"Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock,"_ to determine who would meet with Mayor Mills and who would stay with Penny; Leonard and Howard went to meet with the mayor while Sheldon and Raj stayed behind to be with Penny. Less than twenty minutes later, Leonard and Howard stood before Mayor Regina Mills, who rose from her desk when they entered her office.

"Thank you for coming so promptly, gentlemen," said Regina.

"Are you going to allow us to leave, Mayor Mills?" said Leonard. "If you do, please rest assured that we will not tell anyone on the outside about Storybrooke. Your secret will be safe."

"I know that my secret will be safe, Dr. Hofstadter," said Regina. "Because I have decided that none of you will ever be allowed to leave Storybrooke."

"Mayor Mills," said Leonard. "I don't think that you realize what will happen if you don't let us go back to Pasadena.

"We are all engaged in very _important_ work at Caltech," said Leonard. "If we do not return when we said we would, people will start _looking_ for us . . . ."

"And they will find _nothing_," said Regina dryly. "In fact, if Dr. Cooper had not sent out that tachyon charged _whatever_ it was that he did, you would not have found Storybrooke, either.

"But don't worry, gentlemen, you will still be able to pursue your scientific research right here in Storybrooke. But instead of working for Caltech; you will all be working here for me.

"Somehow, your "technology" was able to penetrate the wall of enchantments that I have in place around Storybrooke. That makes me feel threatened. And when I feel threatened, bad things tend to happen . . . .

"So, I have decided that the four of you will work for me as "Physics Consultants." I want you to figure out exactly how you were able to enter Storybrooke, and devise a way to prevent it from happening again.

"As for the cheesecake girl, well, maybe Granny's Diner is in need of an extra waitress . . . ."

Leonard said, "But to properly do what you are asking of us, we will need our Quantum Anomaly Detector to gather more data."

"Then find a way to work without it," said Regina dismissively. "If I give it to you; you will undoubtedly use it to attempt to leave Storybrooke, and I can't allow that."

"What you are asking of us simply cannot be done with a standard laptop computer," persisted Leonard. "The QAD is _our world's_ state-of-the-art technology for measuring quantum field fluctuations. Without it, we could not do what you are asking of us."

Regina thought for a moment, and said, "Then this is what you will need to do-"

But before Regina could say anymore, a cellphone in her desk began to ring. From the ringtone, Howard could tell that it was his phone. As well as who was calling him . . . .

"That damned phone has been ringing all morning!" said Regina. "And I can't figure out how to shut it off!"

"I-it's my _mom_, Madame Mayor," said Howard.

"Ignore it," said Regina.

"I wish that I could," said Howard. "But trust me; if I don't answer it, she is going to raise hell until a search party is sent out to look for us."

"Very well, then," said Regina. "Answer it. But on speaker phone, as before."

It was an order that Regina would live to regret. As soon as Howard answered the call, the speaker boomed, "HOWWWWAAAADDDD? WHY HAVE YOU BEEN IGNORING MY CALLS? I'M WORRIED SICK ABOUT MY LITTLE BOY! ARE YOU AND YOUR PLAYMATES FROM SCHOOL HAVING FUN AT YOUR COSTUME PARTY . . . ?"

Howard took a deep breath, and said, "WE'RE AT A _STAR TREK CONVENTION_, MA; NOT A COSTUME PARTY!"

"SO WHY HAVEN'T YOU CALLED? WERE YOU TOO BUSY PLAYING WITH YOUR FRIENDS THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY TIME TO CALL YOUR MOTHER . . . ?"

"I HAVEN'T CALLED YOU BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO PUT MY BLOOD PRESSURE INTO ORBIT, MA! I'M TRYING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME! BUT I GOTTA GO, NOW, MA! MY BATTERY IS LOW!"

"YOU _ALWAYS_ SAY THAT WHENEVER I CALL YOU, HOWAAAAD!" replied Mrs. Wolowitz. "WHY IS IT THAT SUCH A BIG SHOT ENGINEER CAN'T REMEMBER TO KEEP HIS PHONE CHARGED?"

"MAYBE SO I WON'T BE _BOTHERED _WHEN I AM TRYING TO HAVE SOME _FUN_, MA!"

"LIKE WHENEVER YOU TAKE ONE OF THOSE _LONG SHOWERS_, HOWAAAAD?"

"MA, _PLEASE_, THERE IS A _LADY_ PRESENT!"

"IS IT THE LITTLE BLONDE SHIKSA THAT YOU ARE DATING, OR THE SLUTTY BLONDE SHIKSA THAT LIVES ACROSS THE HALL FROM YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS FROM SCHOOL?"

"NEITHER, MA, SHE'S . . . ."

"WELL, PUT HER ON SO I CAN TALK TO HER," insisted Mrs. Wolowitz. "I DON'T WANT HER TO THINK THAT WE ARE IGNORING HER!"

"UH, I DON'T THINK THAT _THAT'S_ A GOOD IDEA, MA . . . ."

"WHAT? ARE YOU SO _ASHAMED_ OF YOUR MOTHER THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO INTRODUCE ME TO THE NICE LADY, HOWAAAAD?"

Howard looked desperately at Regina, who just sighed, and said, "Uh, Hello. Mrs. _Wolowitz_, is it . . . ?"

"YOU SOUND LIKE A VERY NICE GIRL! SO, WHAT'S YOUR NAME, HONEY?"

"Uh, my name is Regina Mills, Mrs. Wolowitz . . . ."

"THAT'S SUCH A VERY NICE NAME! SO TELL ME, REGINA, ARE YOU RELATED TO THE MILLS FAMILY THAT RUNS THE DRYCLEANERS IN ENCINO? THEIR NAME USED TO BE "MILLINSKY," BEFORE SOME SCHMUCK AT ELLIS ISLAND MADE THEM CHANGE IT . . . ."

"Uh, _no_, Mrs. Wolowitz . . . I can _assure_ you that I am not related to _anyone _. . . _here_ . . . ."

"SO, TELL ME, REGINA, ARE YOU _JEWISH_ . . . ?"

Howard jumped in, and said, "_SHE'S NOT EVEN FROM OUR PART OF THE SPACE-TIME CONTINUUUM, MA_!" Leonard cringed, but if Regina was angry with Howard's slip, she did not show it. "NOW WE _REALLY GOT TO GO_, MA!"

"ALRIGHT, HOWAAAAD. HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS AND DON'T FORGET TO CALL MORE OFTEN! BYE BYE, HOWAAAAD! AND IT WAS NICE TALKING WITH YOU, REGINA!"

"BYE, MA!" said Howard. To everyone's relief, Mrs. Wolowitz ended the call.

Regina shook her head and sighed. "And I thought that _my_ mother was _insufferable _. . . ."

Next, Regina took a deep breath, and said, "Now, where were we . . . ?

"Oh, yes. _Now_ I remember," continued Regina. "If you _absolutely_ must have your QAD, then I shall require some form of collateral to ensure that you will not try to escape from Storybrooke.

"Say, one of your _hearts_ . . . ?"

"Uh . . . , l-let's just see what we can do _without_ the QAD for the moment," said Leonard taking a step back.

"That's more like it," said Regina. "Now, go back to Granny's and tell the others what we have just discussed. You will begin working for me tomorrow. And _never _forget that you are in the presence of a _queen_; a queen who _also_ happens to be a _very_ powerful _witch_ . . . .

"I want all of you in my office tomorrow morning at 10:00 am, and we will go over the details."

After being dismissed by the Evil Queen, Leonard and Howard went back to Granny's Bed and Breakfast. When they got there, they saw that Penny. Sheldon and Raj were all sleeping, so they decided to get some sleep too, and bring the others up to speed in the morning.

The next morning, Leonard and Howard told Sheldon, Raj and Penny what happened when they met with Regina yesterday afternoon, though mercifully sparing them the part where Howard's mom called.

Penny said, "I-I guess we are trapped here in Storybrooke forever, huh, guys?"

Leonard said, "IC," then said as "Kirk," "It sure looks that way, Penny. Gentlemen, I am open to suggestions."

Sheldon said, "IC," then as "Spock" added, "Without the ability to generate a phased, charged tachyon pulse, Captain, I must concur that for the moment we appear to be trapped."

Raj said, "IC," then as "Kang," said, "Perhaps we should consider attempting to leave _without_ the aid of your instruments, Vulcan.

"I believe that we should attempt to ram through the barrier surrounding Storybrooke with our shuttlecraft, with the deflector shields set for maximum."

Penny said, "But Henry said that bad things happen to those who try to leave Storybrooke. If we try without "Spock's" computer, we might not survive the attempt."

"I would rather die on my own terms," said "Kang." "There is _honor_ in such a death, Penny. But there is no honor in living as Regina's slave. I say that we make the attempt, "Kirk." For it is a good day to die!"

Howard added, as "Chekov," "I believe that "Kang" is right, _Keptin_. Regina has shown herself to be a capricious ruler. The longer we stay, the greater the chance that we will offend her in some way, and incur her wrath."

"Alright," said "Kirk." "If we are all in agreement, then we will –"

Leonard was interrupted by a knock on the door. When he answered it, everyone was surprised to see Henry Mills, and they were even more surprised to see that the boy was smiling.

"May I please come in?" said Henry. "There is something that I want to say to you. It's about the way I was with you guys yesterday morning. And may I have some juice? Please and thank you."

Penny stuffed more bills in the honor-jar, and handed Henry a can of cold orange juice. After taking a big chug, the boy said, "First of all, let me apologize for the way that I was with you yesterday. I know that you do not want to stay here in Storybrooke, so I want to help you leave town safely."

"That's very generous of you, Henry," said "Kirk." "But we are still unable to allow you to come with us."

Henry smiled again, and said, "That's alright, Dr. _Hofstadter. I don't think that I want to __leave__ Storybrooke, anymore. But I also know that __you __don't want to __stay__ in Storybrooke, so I decided to help you get back to your home any way that I can."_

_Penny said, _"What makes you want to help us _now_, Henry? Yesterday morning, you said that you wouldn't help us leave if we didn't agree to take you with us."

"Well, I talked with my teacher, Miss Blanchard, yesterday at lunch," said Henry. "She made me realize that I really _do_ belong here in Storybrooke, and that I _am_ loved, and I believe her.

"She also gave me a book to read." Henry took a leather-bound book from his backpack with gold lettering that said, "Once Upon A Time," to show them. "I read a lot of it last night when I got home. That's when I knew that I had to help you."

"It looks like a book of old fairytales, sweetie," said Penny, flipping through the pages, admiring the lavish illustrations. "How did bedtime stories make you want to help us?"

"It's kind of hard for me to explain, ma'am," said Henry. "But the stories in this book gave me a feeling of real _hope_ that life can get better. And that's something that I have not felt for a very long time.

"You guys do not belong here in Storybrooke, so when you do leave, it will be to get back to your _real _home.

"But if I were to leave _with_ you, then I would be _running away_ from my problems. And running away from a problem is _never_ the answer. To _solve _my problems, I need to stay here and _face_ them . . . .

"_That's _when I realized that I really do _belong_ here in Storybrooke, and that there are things that I can do that _will _make a real difference here; for me and everyone else, including you and your friends, ma'am.

"Miss Blanchard told me that "Believing in even the _possibility_ of a happy ending is a _powerful_ thing." And I can't have a happy ending for myself knowing that the five of you are unhappy because my mom is keeping you trapped here in Storybrooke."

Penny said, "You got all of this from reading a few _fairytales_?"

Henry smiled a broad, ten-year-old's grin. "Why not? Miss Blanchard also said that fairytales are a reminder that our lives _will_ get better if we just hold onto _hope_." Henry put the book back into his backpack, and took a ring of keys from his pocket. "And here is some hope that you can _actually_ hold onto . . . .

"Here are the keys to my mom's office and desk drawers at the Town Hall. Based on my past observations of mornings here in Storybrooke, she will not be at her office for at least 45 minutes to an hour from now; at least not normally.

"You may even have _more_ time if she decides to get a second cup of coffee at breakfast; that happens every now and then. In any case, that should give you plenty of time to get your QAD, laptops and cellphones.

"Hopefully, you will be safely out of Storybrooke before mom even gets to her office this morning. But you have to go now; before mom notices that her spare keys are missing!"

Penny said, "Your teacher Miss Blanchard sounds like an _amazing_ person, Henry."

"She is!" said Henry nodding. "And I think that she may be even _more_ amazing than any of us knows! I've got an idea about her, that she is _really_ . . . well, never mind! I'll need to check my facts more before I can be sure, myself!"

Leonard took the keys, and said, "Thank you, Henry. This means a lot to us." The others also thanked Henry, but Penny went even further by giving him a friendly kiss on his cheek, making the boy blush with embarrassment as well as smile.

"Well, I gotta go to school now," said Henry. "I hope to hear that you were able to get out of Storybrooke safely when I get home from school today. I _know _that you will!"

Leonard smiled and said, "Thank you again, Henry. I think that the hope that you spoke of must be contagious, because I'm feeling it now for the first time since we first got here a few days ago!"

Sheldon held up his right hand, splaying his fingers in a Vulcan Salute, and said, "Farewell, Henry Mills. Live long, and prosper!"

After Henry left for school, Leonard smiled broadly, and said, "Alright, everybody, we are now back "IC . . . ."

And as "Captain Kirk," he added, "Now it's time to go _home_ . . . !"

Back in Pasadena, Bernadette Rostenkowski was speaking to a representative of the car rental agency on her cellphone to ask them to try and locate the van that their friends had rented. A few minutes later, she said, "Thank you. Please call me back when you do get a signal or find out anything." She then ended the call, and said, "The rental agency in Maine says that they "lost" the guys' van."

"How could they lose a _van_?" said Amy.

"The lady I spoke with said that according to _OnStar_, the van is in the middle of the woods in Maine. They asked the police to check it out, but the police said that there are no roads going through that part of the woods, and it must be a mistake of some kind."

Will said, "I didn't have any better luck with the cellphone company when I asked them to triangulate the call we had with them yesterday. They said they tried, but only got an "error" message.

"I don't like this," said Amy. "It isn't like Sheldon or my Bestie to not call for so long."

"Maybe we should go out to Maine and look for them?" said Bernadette. "I'm worried about my Howard . . . ."

"Sheldon said "_Condition Green_," insisted Will. "For the moment, all that we can do is sit and wait until they contact us. I'm sure that we will hear from them soon and Sheldon was just being a drama queen.

"I mean, it's not like they are on a _real _Star Trek Away Mission . . . ."


	4. Escape from Storybrooke

**Part Four: Escape from Storybrooke**

"Captain's Log, Supplemental: "After obtaining the keys to Mayor Regina Mills' office, we are preparing to retrieve our Quantum Anomaly Detector and our communicators that are currently locked up in her desk. We have it on good authority that she will not be in her office at this time of day, and we hope to be in and out of the Storybrooke Town hall in less than ten minutes.

"Mr. Chekov assures me that _Galileo 7_ is ready to depart. Nevertheless, Mr. Spock has informed me that it will take some time to properly calibrate the QAD once we have launched before we will be able to send out the phased, charged tachyon pulse that will hopefully allow us to return to Federation Space. Until we are able to do so, _Galileo 7_ will be vulnerable to the aliens' interceptors once we are spaceborne . . . ."

"Kirk" set the _Galileo 7_ in front of the Storybrooke Town Hall. Fortunately, they did not encounter anyone else as they made their way to the Mayors' Office. "Kirk" slipped the key into the lock, and was relieved that it worked. Then everyone went inside.

"Penny, I want you to wait by the door to act as a lookout," said "Kirk." He then gave the keys to Sheldon, and said, "Spock," get our equipment from the Mayor's desk drawer."

"There are several keys on this ring, Captain," said "Spock." "It may take a few moments to get our equipment; assuming that Mayor Mills has not had her locks changed in the interim."

"Then get started, "Spock," we don't have any time to lose . . . ."

"I wish that we had phasers with us, _Keptin_," said "Chekov."

"Or my _bat'leth_," growled "Kang."

"But the _sheriff_ has a _real_ gun," Penny whispered nervously from behind the door.

Howard as "Chekov" snorted derisively. "With his _outdated _weapon? If Sheriff Graham shoots at me; I shall just step out of the way!"

Then Sheldon as "Spock" said, "Captain, we have encountered a problem. None of these keys will open the Mayor's desk drawer."

"Then we will have to force our way in," said "Kirk." "Chekov, get the phaser torch from the toolkit on the _Galileo 7_."

Howard said, "OOC," then said, "Which tool are we pretending is the "phaser torch," Leonard?

Leonard said, "OOC." "The tire iron should do what we want nicely, Howard."

Then an all-too familiar voice said, "Or, you boys could just use the key that fits the lock . . . ."

The four men turned to see Mayor Regina Mills standing in the open doorway, a small key chain with a single key twirling on her finger. "Attempting to escape, are we? Well, I suppose that I should have _expected_ something like this."

Leonard took a step forward, and said, "Mayor Mills, or _Evil Queen_, if you prefer, we just . . . ."

"Save it!" spat Regina. The Mayor of Storybrooke held her right hand palm-outward as though preparing to cast a spell, and said, "The first person who moves gets _incinerated_!" Regina reached for her cellphone in her pocket with her left hand, the keychain dangling from her pinky finger, and said, "I'm going to have to teach you all a little _lesson_ . . . .

"I'm calling the sheriff. Instead of spending the night at Granny's, you will all spend the next few days in the Storybrooke Jail. And that _also_ goes for the Cheesecake Serving Wench!"

Regina kept her right hand palm outward, thankful that her bluff was working. As she did this, she called Sheriff Graham, telling him to come to the Town Hall by way of Granny's Bed and Breakfast, where he was to take Penny into custody on the way over.

And then Penny saw _hope_. Though scared that Regina could take her heart again, Penny concentrated on the fact that Regina must not have seen her when she came in; did not know that Penny was behind the door. And this gave Penny real hope as she remembered what Henry had told her:

"_My teacher also said that fairytales are a reminder that our lives will get better if we just hold onto hope_."

The Nebraska girl stepped out from behind the door, and Regina turned toward her as soon as she saw Penny in her peripheral vision. But by then it was too late for Regina to react in any way to the threat. And when Regina turned her head in Penny's direction, it put her face in the _perfect_ position to meet with Penny's _fist_.

The Evil Queen staggered at Penny's first blow, dropping her cellphone and the key to the drawer where the guys' stuff was being kept. Before Regina could do anything else, Penny landed another blow with her other hand, and then followed up with a third blow that put Regina on the floor, unconscious, with a black eye, a bloody nose, and a bleeding upper lip.

"Sorry, Regina," said Penny, breathing hard, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest as she rubbed her sore knuckles. "We may not be able to rip out hearts here, queenie. But _this_ ishow _we_ roll in _our_ part of the multiverse . . . !"

Without another word, Leonard scooped up the key and tossed it to Sheldon, who miraculously caught it, and quickly unlocked the Mayor's desk drawer, taking out their cellphones, laptops and the all-important QAD. Moments later, they were all in _Galileo 7_ moving down the road as "Spock" activated the QAD and began the calculations that would get them home.

"Status report, "Mr. Spock," said "Kirk" as he piloted the shuttlecraft.

"I believe that we shall be ready to initiate a phased, charged tachyon pulse escape factor within the next five minutes, Captain," said "Spock" as he fine-tuned the QAD.

"We may not have five minutes, _Keptin_," said "Chekov" as he monitored the view on the screen of the van's rear-facing camera. "Sensors show an alien _wessel _on intercept course! At their current _welocity_, they will be alongside us in less than thirty seconds, _Keptin_."

Leonard glanced back in the rearview mirror, and said, "Mr. Spock," _now_ would be a good time!"

Then the Storybrooke Sheriff's car pulled alongside the minivan. "Kirk" glanced over to see Mayor Regina Mills, (whose face showed the results of the pounding that Penny gave her,) looking his way, making eye contact. "Kirk" saw Regina say something to the sheriff, and then the van shook violently as Sheriff Graham's patrol car struck the van's side in an attempt to force them off the road.

Leonard struggled to keep the van on the road, trying to pull ahead of the sheriff's car.

Howard as "Chekov" said, "Deflector shields holding, _Keptin_! But I don't know how much more punishment they can withstand . . . !"

"Mr. Spock," said "Kirk," "I strongly suggest that you complete your calculations as soon as possible!"

"My calculations are almost complete, Captain," said "Spock" as he made a few more adjustments to the QAD. "I need to recreate the same conditions that brought us into Storybrooke and reverse them to achieve escape factor. But to do this, I shall require a little more time . . . ."

The Sheriff's car again pulled up alongside them. Penny saw Regina holding her cellphone, dialing a number. Penny's phone rang.

"Regina's _calling_ me!" said Penny.

"Answer it!" said "Kirk." "Keep her talking as long as possible! It just might buy "Spock" the time he needs!"

Penny answered the call. "Uh, hi, Regina; It's me, Penny. You know, the Cheesecake Serving Wench . . . ."

In a voice dripping with rage, Regina said, "Penny, kindly tell "Captain Kirk" to pull over now and surrender and I'll let all of you live.

"But if you make me _force_ you off the road, I'll not only _take_ your _heart_ again, I will _crush _it and you will _die_ miserably!"

"Mr. Spock," said "Kirk." "_Anytime _now would be good!"

"Calculating an orthogonal multi-universal coordinate transfer is not an easy task, Captain," said "Spock," not looking up from the QAD. "I need to recreate the exact conditions . . . . Ah! That's got it! Phased, charged tachyon pulse discharge available at your command, Captain!"

"Everyone prepare for tachyon pulse breakaway maneuver!" said "Kirk." "_Now_, Spock!"

But "Spock" said, "OOC." "In a moment, Leonard; there is something that I need to do first as Dr. Sheldon Cooper." Sheldon rolled down his window and signaled for Regina to roll down her window, too. "I just wanted to say goodbye, Madame Mayor! It has been a most _fascinating _experience to have met someone from a parallel universe, but we gotta go now!"

"PULL OVER!" Screamed Regina. "YOU'LL _NEVER_ LEAVE STORYBROOKE!"

"Think not? Just watch us! _BAZINGA_!"

Sheldon initiated the phased, charged tachyon pulse, and Storybrooke vanished from around them. Once again, they were driving on a Maine country road lined with trees and farmland on either side of the street; a scene that continued ahead of them as well as behind them for as far as they all could see. Looking behind them, they could see no signs of pursuit.

Still in character, Raj was the first to speak. "_Q'Plah_!"

Penny let out a sigh of relief, weeping tears of pure joy. "We're free! Oh, thank G-d that it's finally over! Your _LARPing_ idea really worked, sweetie! We _never_ would have escaped from Regina without you guys "going Star Trek" on that witch thanks to your wonderful _minds_!

Leonard quickly said, "OOC. And _you_ saved us as well, Penny. _We_ never would have escaped from Regina without _you_ "going Nebraska" on that alien invader with your _fists_!"

They drove a few more miles down the tree-lined road in silence, glancing back occasionally to be sure that they were not being followed.

Howard was the first to break character permanently. "That was _incredible_, guys! We actually went up against a powerful _alien_ being from a _parallel universe_ and _won_! Just wait until _everyone_ hears about _this_!"

"Yeah?" said Leonard. "And who, _exactly_, are we going to be able to _tell_ about our experience?

"I mean, think about it, guys. Can we _really _tell anyone that we were in a parallel universe occupied by beings that are _pretending _to be characters from our world's _fairytales_?

Penny smiled broadly and said, "I think that you meant _LARPing_ as characters from our fairytales, Leonard, don't you?"

Penny continued more seriously, "But you know, guys, I'm really worried about Henry. Do you _really_ think that we should have left him in Storybrooke with that crazy bitch who claims to be his mother? I mean, Henry is a _native_ of _our_ world. He's _one of us!_"

Resisting the urge to say, "Gooba gabba, gooba gabba," to Penny's last statement, Howard said, "I guess that we'll just have to hope that Mr. Gold and Henry's teacher are right and that Henry had to stay in Storybrooke for everything there to eventually work out."

"I'm sure that Henry will be alright," said Leonard. "Oddly enough, I do believe that Regina loves her son. I don't think that she will ever hurt him."

"I hope that you are right, sweetie," said Penny wistfully. "Henry is a very special boy . . . ."

Having missed the convention, the guys and Penny drove back to the airport. They would tell the car rental agency that the van was sideswiped while they were parked and hoped that the extra insurance that Sheldon insisted they take out when they picked up the van would cover the damages.

As to what they would tell Amy, Bernadette and Will Wheaton; well, that would take a little _more_ thought . . . .

"May I drive you to the hospital now, Madame Mayor?" said Sheriff Graham.

"Take us back to the Town Hall, Sheriff," said Regina flatly. She and Sheriff Graham drove back to Storybrooke Town Hall in silence. When they got to the Mayor's Office, Regina made a beeline to her desk, unlocking the same drawer where the outsider's "QAD" device had been, thankful that the box that contained the huntsman's heart was still there. She opened the box and took out Graham's heart.

Sheriff Graham said, "Madame Mayor, I could have _sworn_ that I saw the minivan that we were pursuing _vanish_ into thin air. _What's _going on here . . . ?"

"Nothing is "going on here," sheriff," said Regina speaking into Graham's heart. "You will _forget _that those people were _ever _here in Storybrooke . . . .

"Oh, and Graham? You will _attend_ me tonight at the Mayor's Mansion. Come to me _after_ Henry has fallen asleep." Sheriff Graham nodded, and returned to his duties.

Regina then took out a small mirror, taking the first good look at her face since it had ran into the Cheesecake Serving Wench's fists. The little slut had given her a black eye, a bloody nose and a split upper lip . . . .

If there had been any magic in Storybrooke for her to draw from, Regina could have healed herself with a simple gesture. But because the only magic currently available was the enchanted items that she kept in her Vault, this was not a practical option.

True, there were some healing potions available in her Vault. But, also true, she may have a _greater _need for them at a later time; especially if Henry were ever to be severely injured in some way. And to Regina, Henry's well-being _always _came first; even though the boy was likely the one who gave her office keys to the outsiders.

She would speak with Henry about it later. For now, Regina would go to the hospital for treatment. The "medical science" used by the natives of the Land Without Magic took longer to heal people than magic did, but Regina was not concerned about this at the moment.

Regina's nose had stopped bleeding, and eventually, the swelling around her eye _would _go down. And while the cheesecake wench _did_ give her a split upper lip that would probably require stitches, Regina decided that she would keep the resulting scar as a reminder that she was not infallible, and that the outsiders, especially Penny, would all pay dearly for everything that they had done to her . . . .

Regina vowed that one day she would get her revenge on Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali, and Howard Wolowitz; although knowing that Howard would soon be reunited with his mother Mrs. Wolowitz, (_who should have tea one day with _Cora_ to compare techniques for making the lives of their children miserable!_)would be a far _worse_ punishment than _anything_ that she could _possibly _think of . . . .

But most of all, Regina Mills vowed that she would eventually get her revenge on Penny; despite the fact that she would not be easy to find since Regina _never_ found out the girl's last name . . . .

Regina went to her car to drive herself to the hospital, saying aloud, "This isn't over, Penny! You and your scientist friends have just made a _very dangerous enemy_ . . . !"

And at Storybrooke Elementary School during morning recess, a ten-year-old boy sat in an out of the way corner of the playground, enthusiastically reading a book that his teacher had given to him.

**The End**

**Author's Afterthoughts**

"_And I say, bounce a graviton particle beam off the main deflector dish . . . ._" From "**The U.S.S. Make S**t Up"** by Aurelio Voltaire Hernández.

To paraphrase Dr. Leonard McCoy, I am a fanfiction hobbyist, not a theoretical physicist. And I have _absolutely _no idea what a "phased, charged tachyon pulse" or a "Quantum Anomaly Detector" may be.

Actually, that is not true. I _do_ know what they are. They are the "McGuffins" that I used to get the characters from "The Big Bang Theory" into, (and later, out of,) Storybrooke, Maine, for their encounter with the Evil Queen Regina Mills.

So if any REAL theoretical physicists are reading this, _please _go easy on me when you read and review my story . . . .

The story that Leonard told Penny about the girl who escaped from kidnappers by pretending to be Nancy Drew actually _is_ a true story. I remember reading about this incident in our local newspaper in an article about the famous girl detective between 30 and 40 years ago, but for the life of me, I cannot find it (or any other references to this incident,) online.

My main problem is that I get a lot of "false-positives" when I attempt to Google "Nancy Drew," and "escaping from kidnappers," since Nancy Drew _somehow_ managed to end up getting kidnapped by the bad guys in virtually ALL of her adventures . . . .

If any of my readers can help me find out more about this incident, I would be most grateful.

Finally, I would like to dedicate this story to Ms. Carol Ann Susi, the actress who provided the voice for Harold's mother, Mrs. Debbie Wolowitz, who in my story showed Regina Mills that she was not the _only_ person in the multiverse to have mother issues.

Ms. Susi passed away on November 11, 2014. She will be sorely missed.

Thanks for reading this story. I hope that you liked it.


End file.
